Guard Your Weak Point
？奥里森·马登 / Orison Marden
“I’ll sign it after a while，” a drunkard would reply， when repeatedly urged by his wife to sign the pledge； “ but I don’t like to break off at once， the best way is to get used to a thing. ”
“Very well， ” said his wife， “ see if you don’t fall into a hole one of these days， with no one to help you out. ”
Not long after， when intoxicated， he did fall into a shallow well， but his shouts for help were fortunately heard by his wife. “Didn’t I tell you so？” she asked. “It’s lucky I was in hearing or you might have drowned.” He took hold of the bucket and she tugged at the windlass； but when he was near the top her grasp slipped and down， he went into the water again. This was repeated until he screamed： “Look here， you’re doing that on purpose， I know you are.” “ Well， now， I am. ” admitted the wife. “Don’t you remember telling me it’s best to get used to a thing by degrees？ I’m afraid if I bring you up sudden， you would not find it wholesome.” Finding that his case was becoming desperate， he promised to sign the pledge at once. His wife raised him out immediately， but warned him that if ever he became intoxicated and fell into the well again， she would leave him there.
A man captured a young tiger and resolved to make a pet of it. It grew up like a kitten， fond and gentle. There was no evidence of its savage， bloodthirsty nature， and it seemed perfectly harmless. But one day while the master was playing with his pet， the rough tongue upon his hand started the blood from a scratch. The moment the beast tasted blood， its ferocious tiger nature was roused， and it rushed upon its master to tear him to pieces.
Sometimes the appetite for drink， which was thought to be buried years ago， is roused by the taste or the smell of “the devil in solution”， and the wretched victim finds himself a helpless slave to the passion which he thought dead.